Mororbike electrical fault - can you help?

Question

I have a Yamaha FZR600R and a month ago fitted little neon lights. No problems there. Recently had heated grips fitted too. It went fine for 20 miles or so, then cut out on the motorway. No warning, no spluttering, just zero engine power. I pulled onto the hard shoulder and tried restarting the engine. The starter motor was very perky and the lights were on full beam i.e the battery was not flat - it just wouldn't start as if I had no petrol (full tank before you ask).

I called the RAC and the guy tested the battery. With the lights and hotgrips on there was only 12.7V at the battery which is one whole volt less than it needs. He jump-started it and it went fine (hot grips unplugged). Straightforward, right? Just too much of a draw and the bike runs at a loss?

No! This is the bit I don't understand: it wasn't just too much of a draw because this would have run my battery down but my battery wasn't run down at all - there was still loads of life left. Why is this and what can I do?

I appreciate your answer James but as I said in the question it's NOT draining my system. When the bike cut out, the battery was still well pumped up - I tried restarting the engine for about 15 minutes before the battery finally ran down.

Bill H: No I didn't check for compatibility - they were a gift. The Oxford website is very unhelpful and I can't find any compatibility requirements anywhere online - I'll check the box later when I get home but they are advertised as having an EXTREMELY low current drain - less than 2A apparently. But again, it's not that my battery ran flat, it still had practically full charge.

Am I right in thinking that the coil sends a spark to the HT leads and perhaps, even though there was enough charge to turn the starter motor, the spark takes more? I can't believe that... can someone confirm?

Alternatively, is there a device or a replacement part - a more powerful alternator perhaps - that would allow me to have my headlamps, neons AND heated grips on?

Answer 1

Sounds like you have a pinched wire or fuel line somewhere, maybe when you put the bike back together. Perhaps even the power/ground wire to the battery wasn't fully tightened. Sometimes it doesn't take much. The bike should have kept running even if you'd have disconnected the battery entirely so the state of the battery would have nothing to do with it cutting out.

Have you had a problem with it since then? If not, it's possible having the mechanic take it apart enough to get to the battery released the pinch and it'll be ok now. If it was a pinched wire, you might want to chase that down if possible (if it's in a bundle it might be just about impossible to find the actual pinch).

The gear you have isn't going to draw enough of a load on the bike to prevent the battery from charging which was proved when you tried to start it and it sounded like it was trying just fine.

Answer 2

I don't think your aftermarket parts are the problem. If there was so much of a current draw to kill the engine, the battery would be dead. Keep a spare spark plug and float bowl drain screw wrench handy. When the motor cuts out again, quickly pull off a spark plug cap. Install the new plug, lay the threads of the plug against the engine and try to start the bike. If no spark, then there's a problem with the ignition system (CDI, pulse generator, kill switch - it's unlikely that both coils would go bad at the same time).
Open a float bowl drain screw to check if the carbs are getting fuel. If the carbs were clogged, the bike would at least sputter.

Answer 3

This sounds like an earth problem mate, possibly a loose contact from when you fitted the grips and neons?
At 12.7 volts the battery should of turned the engine over and certainly would not of caused it to cut out.
The jump start, with the additional power would of overcome a loose connection.
I would suggest checking all points where the electric system is ground to the frame and replace any shady looking connections.
Especially around the ignition coil.
As for grip compatibilty- are they 12v? is your bike 12v? then they are compatable!

Answer 4

Congratulations on abode possession. And welcome to the reality of determining a thanks to proceed to exist accurate of stuff once you are able to't purely call the owner anymore! That the unit is new is significant! sure, in maximum places, the builder must be responsible. I carry at the same time you're someplace contained in the British Commonwealth? Ask locally what your rights are with a sparkling abode, and browse your contract to make certain what the guaranty era is. similar for even if the electric powered gadget is "yours" (in all possibility) or area of the shared possession. contained in the US, a regularly occurring abode circuit is 15A. A kettle and an iron are both "massive suckers" and that i'd ward off having both on an same circuit. i visit continually tell at the same time as my iron is as a lot as temp, because the lighting fixtures fixtures that are on an same circuit get brighter at the same time as it stops drawing. Presuming the circuit is okay and it truly is being overloaded, even with the undeniable fact that the circuit breaker is the protection function, and it truly is not volatile to set off it. The free socket is definitely a difficulty. Have that checked. contained in the US we can purchase the bits to fix those ourselves, yet i'm no longer particular if that's authentic everywhere. Ask round, per chance a accessible pal can do it. problem-free sockets are lower than $5 US the following, and the in problem-free words required procedures are a screwdriver and electrician's pliers (they have a flat close to the lower back of the pivot aspect for stripping insulation off).

Answer 5

You understand that your bike will run with the battery disconnected once started. If the problem is the load of your hot grips it’s the load on the alternator that’s the problem. Did you check the compatibility of the grips with your bike? Have you any idea what they draw (A)?

Answer 6

Get rid of the neons, they don't make it go any better or help you in any way. Assuming they've been wired correctly, hotgrips shouldn't be a problem on a bike like that, you'll have to balance what you want - whizzy lights or warm hands. I vote for the hands.

Answer 7

I believe that the installation was ok but that when you turn on your ignition that there is a short to ground and it drains your system. I would check any ground from your heated hangrips.

Answer 8

Sounds like a dodgy ignition if it cannot cope with less than 12.7 volts, or is it more than 20 miles, or more likely an unrelated fuel fault.

Answer 9

Does the bike have a box under the seat with the words 'digital ignitor' written on it?? Sure you not disturbed this beast - dry connections in the multiplug??